


Overhead of the Aqua Blue

by turps



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Gen, H/C bingo, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Protective Siblings, Teen Hargreeves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-07-09 08:15:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19884463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/turps/pseuds/turps
Summary: Written for the h/c bingo challenge on Dreamwidth.The prompt I used waswashing/bathing someone.





	Overhead of the Aqua Blue

Klaus doesn’t see the door open.

How can he when he’s curled up on the floor, knees up to his chest and his eyes tightly closed?

“Klaus?”

Klaus tries to block out the sound, hands pressed over his ears. Not that it helps: it’s can’t when the voices are inside of his head. When the screaming is inside of his head. Klaus hates the screaming, which is ironic considering it’s all he did for a very long time.

“Klaus?” someone says again, and Klaus’ breath hitches as he realises he recognises the voice. Even so, he pushes back hope. This isn’t real. It can’t be. No one is coming. He realised that within the first day.

“Klaus, I’m coming in.”

Klaus shivers, the ground cold under his cheek. He feels wrung out, worn down in both body and mind. If he were stronger he’d attempt to sit up, but he can’t. Klaus is weak, pathetic, worth nothing -- proving father right yet again.

“Klaus….” A pause, then fainter, the sound of footsteps walking away as someone says, “I can’t... you’ll have to come help.”

Klaus’ face itches and every bone aches. It’s hard to pull in a breath, his chest burning as he minutely turns his head, and sees Luther crossing the room. He crouches down, knees dusty and a smear of dirt under the collar of his shirt. Klaus hopes Luther changes it before father can see.

“Klaus, are you okay?” Allison steps into view and kneels next to Klaus, resting her hand on his head. Her touch is gentle but she looks angry, then sad as she adds softly, “Of course you’re not okay.”

“Father said you could leave,” Luther says, and then, “He unlocked the door this morning.” 

Alison nods and leans in closer, says, “We would have come before training but he just told us.”

Klaus says nothing, just stares past Luther to the spirit who still rocks in the corner. She’s been there for days now, her eyes bloody and fingers like sharp bone as she claws at her face.

“The others are close. If you need help getting up...” Luther says, sounding unsure as he looks over Klaus. “They’re watching the doors, but if….”

“No.” Klaus rasps, tasting blood in his throat as he forms the short word, winces as he adds. “I can do it.”

“Yeah you can,” Allison says, smiling as if she actually believes what Klaus is saying. “But if you can’t we’re here.”

Klaus gives the rocking ghost a last look, resisting the urge to clasp his hands back over his ears as the whispers start again _You’re weak. You’re stupid. You need to listen to us. Listen. Listen. Listen_.

Klaus doesn’t. He can’t, if he does he’ll go mad. Gathering all of his strength he rolls onto his front, suppressing a whimper and feeling the damp fabric of his shorts cling to his body. Before Klaus would be embarrassed at how he must look, but now he’s beyond that. He’s blank, uncaring that piss is dried on his legs, that his fingers are bloody, his nails torn where he’d clawed at the door. 

“It’s okay. I’ve got you.” Uncharacteristically gentle, Luther takes hold of Klaus under his arms, helping him stand, holding on when Klaus sways, the room spinning around him. “Allison, tell Diego to start a bath, and get Five to make Klaus something to eat. Some kind of soup, not a sandwich.”

“Okay,” Allison says, obeying easily as she presses a kiss against Klaus’ forehead. “I’ll see you upstairs and send in Ben to help.”

“I don’t need his help,” Luther protests, but Allison has already gone, leaving Klaus alone with Luther and this mausoleum full of ghosts. More than anything Klaus wants to leave, his chest tightening as he stares at the open door and takes a stumbling step.

Without a word, Luther matches his pace, just holds on as they inch forward, Klaus desperately trying to stay upright as the world sways, and behind him, the spirits call out his name.

“Allison said…” Ben runs into the room, but stops, looking horrified for all of a moment before he steps forward, fitting himself against Klaus’ side, uncaring of damp fabric and the dried blood that flakes from Klaus’ hands when Ben pulls Klaus’ arm over his shoulder. “We’ve got you. It’s okay.”

Klaus isn’t okay, he doesn’t think he ever will be. Even so, he holds onto the words, taking the scant comfort as they stumble and slowly make their way to the stairs.

“This isn’t right,” Ben says, his words clipped as he looks from Klaus to Luther. “You know it’s not right.”

“It’s training,” Luther says after a brief hesitation, his words stilted as if he’s replying by rote. “We all need to have control of our powers.”

“Not like this,” Ben snaps back and takes a deep breath as if physically pushing back anger as he turns his head so he can look directly at Klaus. “We’ll get you cleaned up and you’ll feel better.”

Klaus nods in reply, too tired to actually talk. Now he’s been all but hauled up the few steps, it’s taking all his effort to keep moving, willing his body to keep going as he sags between his two brothers.

“I could carry you,” Luther suggests, a painful few minutes later when Klaus’ legs are shaking and they’re still a staircase away from the bedrooms. “Or get Five, he could take you.”

Klaus shakes his head, teleporting with Five something that’s bound to end with Klaus dry-retching. More than that, though, he needs to do this himself -- at least, mostly himself, because at this point he’s practically being held up by the others.

“Okay then, we walk,” Ben says, and with a pointed look at Luther starts moving again, his grip secure and a solid presence at Klaus’ side.

And they do walk. Slowly, slowly, slow. Klaus' feet dragging against the ground with each step, until, finally, they're at the bathroom on their floor. 

“You look like shit,” Five says when they go inside. He’s leaning against the sink and is holding a steaming mug in his hand. Frowning, he stares at Klaus, looking him up and down. “You smell like shit, too.”

“Five…”

The rest of Luther’s response is cut off when Five sets down the mug and pushes himself upright, moving forward so he’s standing in front of Klaus. It seems like a setup for yet another insult, but instead, Five reaches up and, his expression schooled, eases off Klaus’ blazer and then vest. As actions go it's unexpected, but Klaus remains silent as Five works in unison with Luther and Ben, so someone is holding onto Klaus at all times. 

Then, without pause, Five starts to casually unbutton Klaus’ shirt, fingers deft on the buttons. “Don’t think I’m getting sappy or anything, but your stench is an insult to my nose.”

“At least he doesn’t smell of cheap aftershave and hair cream,” Ben says, meeting Five’s glare with a responding fake smile. “Seriously, lay off that stuff.”

“He’s right,” Diego says, and Klaus blinks, finally taking in that Diego’s kneeling at the side of the full tub, moving his hand through the water and stirring up small islands of bubbles. “You _s s_ smell like a coconut.”

“And Klaus smells like a men’s room in a seedy club at the end of the night,” Five says, the insult dulled by the way he’s still unbuttoning shirt buttons, apparently uncaring that the front of Klaus’ shirt is stiff with dried sweat. “The faster he gets in the water the better.”

“I’ve got your pyjamas,” Vanya says from the doorway, and Klaus turns his head, seeing that she’s hovering close by, holding Klaus’ neatly folded nightclothes in her hands. “I think these are the right ones.”

“Yeah,” Klaus says, the resulting pain in his throat worth it when Vanya smiles small in response, even if she makes no attempt to get closer.

“Nearly done.” Five is efficient, showing no emotion as he eases off Klaus’ shirt and drops it to the ground then brings his hands to Klaus’ belt, his fingers on the buckle. “Now no getting excited, this doesn’t mean anything except you’re an offence to my senses.”

Standing shirtless, held up by Luther and Ben, Klaus should feel embarrassed, but he doesn’t. He feels nothing but numb as he feels his shorts be pulled down his legs and after a deliberate cough from Luther that sends Vanya scurrying away, his underwear following behind them.

Klaus half expects a smart comment from Five, but there’s nothing. Just silence as Five moves away so Luther and Ben can hold on as Klaus steps out of the piles of clothes and over to the tub, where he sits on the side. Even then Ben stays close, sitting beside him, his arm around Klaus as Diego sideways kneel walks so he can unlace Klaus’ shoes, putting them to one side before peeling off his socks and then says, “Done.”

“Time to get you warm,” Ben says and stands so he can help Klaus to his feet, holding on until Diego can support his other side. Securely held, Klaus follows their silent instruction and steps into the tub, bubbles floating in the air as he sits -- and the water is hot, steaming as Klaus slides down so his body is fully submerged.

“Lie still, let us do this,” Ben says, kneeling at the side of the tub. Already his shirt sleeves are soaked, the material transparent where it clings to his skin. Reaching out, he takes the sponge that Diego hands over and pours on a little gel, the same kind that Diego must have used to create the few bubbles.

It’s the same shower gel they all use, mass-produced and basic, and Klaus would know the slightly medicinal smell anywhere.

“Mom’s making meatloaf for dinner,” Ben says, conversation matter of fact as he gently wipes down Klaus’ arms, shoulders and chest. “Then cookies for after, your favourite kind, she said you’ll be hungry so she’ll bring you some up when they’re done.”

Klaus says nothing, there’s nothing he can say, even the reminder of his mom’s blinkered love not able to hurt at the moment. 

“His hands,” Diego says, and while Klaus’ hands are submerged, he can feel the dull ache in his fingers, one that intensifies when Ben carefully takes hold of Klaus’ right hand and brings it out of the water.

“You’ve pulled off most of your nails,” Ben states, his words clipped as he abandons the rough sponge and instead, carefully uses his own hands to wash the dried blood from Klaus’ fingers, first the right hand then left. “They’ll need antiseptic.”

“I’ll get the first-aid kit,” Luther says, but makes no attempt to move, just remains at the sink as if standing on guard. 

“When he’s out and dry,” Allison says, and then, “I’ve put some towels in the dryer, Five can get them when Klaus is ready.”

“Because I haven’t got better things to do than be some kind of hot towel delivery man,” Five states, a complaint that comes along with not saying no.

With a gentle squeeze of Klaus’ hand, Ben lets go and then gropes for the sponge that’s lodged between Klaus’ shoulder and the side of the tub. Picking it up, Ben squeezes, water dripping over his wrist. “Face next, close your eyes.”

Klaus does so, sinking into the darkness that comes along with the sound of lapping water and his siblings breathing. Eyes closed, he can feel each barely-there touch of the sponge as Ben wipes away dried snot and tears, and makes no mention of the new tears that Klaus can’t seem to stop.

A last gentle swipe and Klaus feels the sponge be replaced by Ben’s hand, his fingers solid where they rest against Klaus’ cheek as he says, “Done. You can do the rest later.”

Klaus opens his eyes and sees Ben leaning over the tub, the slight curl of his mouth doing nothing to hide his concern. Sees Diego close by, never looking away from Klaus’ face. Sees Luther and Five still clustered next to the sink, both affecting a casualness that doesn’t quite work. Sees Vanya who’s come back into view behind the open door, Allison at her side and saying something Klaus can’t hear.

Klaus sees them all and is grateful that they’re there, but at the same time, despite all of their concern and care, he’s still numb.

He suspects he will be for a long time.


End file.
